Working, no matter when and where - this has become the normality in the working world for over a year now, and not just in the IT world. The pandemic has strongly driven digital growth and thus mobile working in many companies. The so-called hybrid work model, which gives employees the freedom to work in the office, from home or on the road, is now standard in many companies. This model has proven to be particularly efficient in IT and software development.

Mobile working is the future

In its Labor Market Report 2021, Robert Half, a staffing services provider for specialists and executives, examined the labor market situation with regard to hybrid working, among other things. According to the report, the majority of employers, 86% to be precise, already see hybrid working as a permanent form of work in the future. Compared to 2019, the proportion of online job postings that explicitly mention working from a home office as an option has increased by 54%.

Hybrid working models are particularly suitable in the following areas:

The german health insurance company DAK also surveyed employees on the topic of home office in a representative study. According to the survey, 58% of respondents can well imagine working half of their working hours from home in the future. The reasons for this are a more pleasant and efficient working atmosphere. The majority of respondents (88%) believe they can get work done just as well in a home environment as in the office. The following advantages of working from home were mentioned in the study:

1. better work-life balance (86%).

2. elimination of the need to travel to work (79 %)

3. targeted distribution of tasks throughout the day (70 %)

Working from a desk at home also offers disadvantages, of course. In the survey, for example, 39% of employees with children under 18 said they were more likely to be distracted. Another negative aspect is the lack of personal contact with colleagues, because a virtual chat is no substitute for lunch together. In addition, the boundaries between the work and private environments are becoming blurred, which can be a disadvantage for some.

Working no matter where and how

As a healthy middle ground, hybrid working has established itself as the form of work of the future in many companies, because in many organizations outside of IT, there is once again a requirement to be present. Probably the biggest advantage is agility for both employers and employees, depending on the current pandemic situation. It ensures that all employees can do their jobs, whether from the office, home office or other workplaces. This means that the company's business continuity and productivity is maintained, at least in those occupational groups that are suitable for it. In addition, companies are being forced to adopt digital ways of working, which in turn is driving digitization.

The ability to freely decide where and how to work also ensures greater employee satisfaction. At this point, managers are also called upon to maintain trust in employees, which in turn ensures an adjustment of leadership qualities. The pandemic in particular shows that flexible working models and hybrid working offer many advantages due to the freedoms they create.